Retractor and capture mechanism for a missile antenna coupler

ABSTRACT

THE MECHANISM INCLUDES A VERTIALLY DISPOSED SUPPORT FRAME FOR A TRAVELING LINK GUIDE TRACK MOUNTED ALONGSIDE A MISSILE. A PIVOTABLE TRAVELING LINK, IN THE GENERAL SHAPE OF A BELL CRANK, HAS ONE END CONNECTED TO THE MISSILE ANTENNA COUPLER WITH BREAKAWAY BOLTS. THE OTHER END IS POSITIONED IN THE TRAVELING LINK GUIDE TRACK AND MOVES ALONG THE TRACK AS THE MISSILE IS LAUNCHED. THE PIVOTABLE TRAVELING LINK HAS A LENGTH OF COAXIAL CABLE FIRMLY ATTACHED THERETO WITH ONE END OF THE CABLE ELECTRICALLY CONNECTED TO GROUND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT. THE OTHER END OF THE CABLE IS CONNECTED TO MISSILE ELECTRICAL CIRCUITS BY THE COUPLER. WHEN THE MISSILE IS FIRED AND MOVES ALONG THE TRAVELING LINK GUIDE TRACK, THE PIVOT PORTION OF THE TRAVELING LINK STRIKS A SLIDER BLOCK IN A RETRACTOR AND CAPTURING MECHANISM, AND RELEASES A SPRING LOADED RAM NORMALLY RETAINED IN COMPRESSIONS BY THE BLOCK. THE SLIDER BLOCK IMPACT FORCE FAILS THE BREAKAWAY BOLTS, KINETIC ENERGY ROTATES THE TRAVELING LINK INTO ITS CAPTURED POSITION WHERE IT IS RETAINED BY THE RELEASED SPRING LOADED RAM. THE PADDED PORTION IS POSITIONED AT THE UPPER END OF THE VERTICALLY DISPOSED SUPPORT FRAME.

NOV. 23, 1971 N STRQMMER 3,621,551

RETRACTOR AND CAPTURE MECHANISM FOR A MISSILE ANTENNA COUPLER Filed Jan. 22, 1970 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Robert N..Strommer,

l VENT BY Q/J NOV- 23, 1971 N STRQMMER 3,621,551

RETRACTOR AND CAPTURE MECHANISM FOR A MISSILE ANTENNA COUPLER Filed Jan. 22, 1970 4 Sheets-Sheet J Robert N. Strommer,

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RETRACTOR AND CAPTURE MECHANISM FOR A MISSILE ANTENNA COUPLER Filed Jan. 22, 1970 Nov. 23, 1971 R. N. STROMMER 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Robert N; Sirommer,

' IN ENTOR I W 7/ BY NOV. 23, 1971 N STRQMMER 3,621,551

RETRACTOR AND CAPTURE MECHANISM FOR A MISSILE ANTENNA COUPLER Filed Jan. 22, 1970 4 Sheets-Sheet A FIG. 4

Robert N. Sfrommer,

INVENTOR TO COAXIAL CABLE STORAGE CONTAINER United States Patent 3,621,551 RETRACTOR AND CAPTURE MECHANISM FOR A MISSILE ANTENNA COUPLER Robert N. Strornmer, Venice, Calif., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Jan. 22, 1970, Ser. No. 5,070 Int. Cl. B231) 19/00 US. Cl. 29-200 D 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The mechanism includes a vertically disposed support frame for a traveling link guide track mounted alongside a missile. A pivotable traveling link, in the general shape of a bell crank, has one end connected to the missile antenna coupler with brekaway bolts. The other end is positioned in the traveling link guide track and moves along the track as the missile is launched. The pivotable traveling link has a length of coaxial cable firmly attached thereto with one end of the cable electrically connected to ground support equipment. The other end of the cable is connected to missile electrical circuits by the coupler. When the missile is fired and moves along the traveling link guide track, the pivot portion of the traveling link strikes a slider block in a retractor and capturing mechanism, and releases a spring loaded ram normally retained in compression by the block. The slider block impact force fails the breakaway bolts, kinetic energy rotates the traveling link into its captured position where it is retained by the released spring loaded ram. The padded portion is positioned at the upper end of the vertically disposed support frame.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A device for retracting a missile antenna coupler from a missile being launched. The device includes a retractor and capturing mechanism and means for guiding a traveling link alongside the launched missile, the traveling link being retracted and captured by said retractor and capturing mechanism while the missile is being launched. The means includes a traveling link guide track mounted on a support frame. The retractor and capture mechanism is positioned at the upper end of the support frame. Cable is connected from electrical ground support equipment to the missile antenna coupler. The coupler in turn is connected to the missile antenna.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 illustrates the retractor and capturing mechanism of the invention, partly in section;

FIG. 1A is a sectional view of a ram and guide track;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the lower portion of the support frame and a missile shown alongside;

FIG. 3 is a side view (partly in section) of the invention showing the retractor and capturing mechanism and traveling link at their moment of impact; and

FIG. 4 is a side view (partly in section) of the invention with the coupler and traveling link retracted and captured after the missile has exited.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows the retractor and capturing mechanism 20 of this invention. This mechanism is used to rapidly retract an antenna coupler 12 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) from connection with the electrical control circuits of a missile 8, to absorb the energy of retraction and to retain the antenna coupler clear of the rnissile after retraction and during missile exit. The mechanism is mounted at the upper end of a vertically mounted support frame 16. The mechanism is shown in the locked position with spring loaded ram 40 being retained by slider block 27. Spring 42 of spring loaded ram 40 is shown in the compressed state, Refer to FIG. 1A, along with FIG. 1, for a sectional view showing the position of guide track 41, ram 40 and guide rod 60. Guide track 41 is a rectangular tube which has one face slotted longitudinally and indexes to lugs on the ram to guide its movement. Guide track 41 is welded to support frame 16 and holds spring loaded ram 40 in position for retracting the antenna coupler. Guide rod 60, enclosed within ram 40 and spring 42, further guides the ram after block 27 is moved. Ram stop 37 is secured to guide track 41 and limits the movement of ram 40 after block 27 has been moved and spring 42 released from compression. Movement of ram 40 is limited by collar 45 striking pin 36. This pin 36 is secured to ram stop 37. Collar 45 is secured to the ram by conventional means such as by welding. Spring loaded ram 40 is kept from inadvertently triggering during shipment and storage prior to installation of the mechanism assembly by safety pin 38 holding collar 43 rigidly attached to ram 40. After safety pin 38 is removed from ram stop 37, and impact by traveling link 24 (FIGS. 3 and 4) on interior abutment 27a of slider block 27 will relese spring 42. The slider block 27 will then come to rest against first cushioning material 44.

Slider block 27 is held in position by retainer 29. Retainer 29 guides the slider block 27 into cushioning material 44. Cushioning material 44 is positioned against slider stop 58 welded to support frame 16. Second cushioning material 54 will retain the captured antenna coupler 12 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4) after the coupler has been retracted from the missile and comes to rest on coupler stop 55.

FIG. 2 shows the coaxial cable storage container 22 attached to the lower portion of the support frame 16-, by support means 23. Storage container 22 is positioned so that the coaxial cable 10 will be pulled freely within traveling link guide track 18 when missile 8 is fired. Antenna coupler 12 holds the coaxial cable to electrical equipment in the missile and traveling link 24 carries the coaxial cable 10 within the traveling link guide track. The antenna coupler 12 is connected to traveling link 24- by a first pivot pin 52 (FIGS. 3 and 4) and is connected to the missile antenna 14 by a plurality of breakaway bolts 56. Coaxial cable 10 is clamped to link 24 by clamps 26.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the positions of the retractor and capturing mechanism 2% are shown as missile antenna 14 moves. The direction of travel of the missile is from left to right. Traveling link 24 has a connecting link 48 attached to arm 24b of traveling link 24 by a pivot pin 50. The other end of connecting link 48 has a bushing 34 for holding one end of braid 32. The other end of 32 is wrapped around a section of coaxial cable 10 as shown at numeral 30. Roller 46 is attached to connecting link 48 to guide coaxial cable 10 along traveling link guide track 18. Bushing 28 and roller '25 form a pivot point of traveling link 24. In FIG. 3, roller 25 has just impacted the interior abutment 27a of slider block 27.

After the missile has exited, coupler 12 will be cap tured as shown in FIG. 4. Spring 42 of spring loaded ram 40 is released from compression and the ram is driven against arm 24b of traveling link 24. First cushioning material 44 is compressed against slider stop 58 by the impact of slider block 27. Antenna coupler 12 is captured in second cushioning material 54 and rests on coupler stop 55. As desired, coaxial cable 10 will maintain electrical connection from ground equipment to the missile electrical system for the short distance of travel until the retractor and capturing mechanism breaks the antenna coupler and coaxial cable from the missile.

To summarize the operation of the retractor and capturing mechanism 20, the mechanism is set up as shown in FIG. 1 before the missile is launched. That is, spring loaded ram 40 is retained by both slider block 27 and by safety pin 38 of ram stop 37. Spring 42 will remain in this compressed state until safety pin 38 is pulled and the interior abutment 27a of slider block 27 is hit by the traveling link roller 25. Roller 25 will move freely along traveling link guide track 18 until it strikes abutment 27a, and thus release ram 40 and fail the breakaway bolts. The link then rotates into its retracted and captured position due to the restraint on block 27 and its forward inertia. The release ram 40 then moves into position to prevent rebound of the link. Antenna coupler 12 will be rotated away from the missile antenna 14, caught in second cushioning material 54 and come to rest on cushion stop 55. The result is that arm 24b will be rotated outward from the traveling link guide track while arm 24a, along with coupler 12, will be retracted from the missile and captured in the second cushioning material 54 until the missile has exited. Traveling link 24 and con necting link 48 may be used repeatedly.

I claim:

1. A means for retracting a missile antenna coupler from a launched missile comprising: a retractor and capture mechanism having a triggering means; attachment means for attaching an antenna coupler to said missile; a traveling link guide track mounted alongside said missile; a coaxial cable and storage container assembly, said coaxial cable electrically connected between electrical ground equipment and electrical equipment in said missile by said coupler, said storage container assembly attached at the lower end of said traveling link guide track with said retractor and capturing mechanism attached at the upper end of said traveling link guide track; a pivotable traveling link in the general shape of a bell crank and having coaxial cable securing means thereon, with one end of said traveling link being connected to said missile antenna coupler and another end of said traveling link being adapted for sliding through said traveling link guide track, said coaxial cable being secured to said securing means on said traveling link whereby said coaxial cable is played out of said storage container until said traveling link triggers said triggering means Where said attachment means are broken and said antenna coupler is captured; said triggering means including a slider block within said traveling link guide track and a spring loaded ram retained by said block, whereby the pivotable portion of the pivotable traveling link strikes said slider block and releases said spring loaded ram and said ram strikes the end of said traveling link sliding through said traveling link guide track and pivots the end of said traveling link connected to said missile antenna away from said missile and into said capturing mechanism.

2. The apparatus for retracting as set forth in claim 1 wherein said spring loaded ram includes a travel limiting mechanism, a pin rigidly attached to said support frame, said pin being in the path of a collar rigidly attached around said ram.

3. The apparatus for retracting as set forth in claim 2 wherein said retractor and capturing mechanism includes a first cushioning material and slider stop used for cushioning and limiting the travel of said slider block when impacted by said traveling link.

4. The apparatus for retracting as set forth in claim 3 wherein said retractor and capturing mechanism includes means for cushioning and capturing said antenna coupler.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,349,468 10/1967 Farber 29-200 D X THOMAS H. EAGER, Primary Examiner 

